Author's Notes

heartlesskitty247 says: Can I request a Smite fan fic about Amaterasu and Izanami getting drunk in a bar one night and the two of them end up arguing and cursing at each other, and then when Susanoo and Raijin arrive to take them home, the two of the, are holding each other and crying at the bar counter?

Fandom: SMITE

Fan-fiction: The Last Straw

Summary: Izanami takes Amaterasu to one of her favourite bars to celebrate her birthday. After a little something to drink, both begin to feel a little confrontational. Amaterasu doesn't appreciate her mother's concern for her love-life but Izanami simply doesn't want her daughter to be left with a broken heart.

Characters: Amaterasu, Izanami, Nox, Raijin & Susano

Warnings: Strong Language

Humanity, now 7 billion strong, seemed to occupy every corner of the globe. Where the Gods were once were able to live away from mortal gaze had been overrun. But there were parts of the world that managed to remain untouched by man, until they found a way to bend reality, of course. The Gods needn't be concerned about that for now. Mama Nyx's Bar remained a safe haven, tucked away behind a tiny break in the fabric of the timeline. Only the immortals knew where the crack was and should any decide to spill its location, Nox would simply darken the opening and make it as uninviting as possible and create another entrance elsewhere. She would not allow it to be comprised. It was a place where the Gods could unwind and forget about their cosmic duties and not have to answer to humanity.

Here, we find Amaterasu and her mother, Izanami, who had brought her daughter here so they could celebrate her birthday together. Izanami had been coming here for many years, mainly out of spite as once she'd escaped her Pantheon's Underworld, she hoped she might see her ex-husband. The pleasant company she'd found with other Gods from all over the world had humbled her and changed her intentions. She came here with friends to have a good time, and she hoped Amaterasu would also enjoy her time here.

A being of light, Amaterasu found the dim setting of Mama Nyx's a little overwhelming when she first entered. Once her eyes had adjusted, she could admire the charming, warehouse decor of the cave. It was huge and not a single space was left untouched or without a purpose. There were spiralled metal staircases that led to the upper levels of the complex with a small candle on every step. Candles were the main source of light in the cave, though Nox was happy to settle for fairy lights near the wooden tables and chairs, and large, rustic lamps above the bar. Though she could not see any medium for this, Amaterasu swore she could hear music. There were no musicians and she could not see any kind of speaker system. She wondered if Nox was even interested in modern day human culture but, then again, what was currently playing was a mash-up of two recently released songs.

Izanami went on ahead towards the bar while Amaterasu admired her surroundings. She was surprised to see many familiar faces though she was wondering why she was never told about this place sooner, unless they thought that she already knew about it. Then again, the Gods that were here currently weren't ones she usually associated herself with. There was Thoth in a corner, curled up with a book and a small drink. In another section, there was Chronos and Thanatos, both looking very content in each other's company. It made Amaterasu long for Bellona's company and she would've invited her but her mother insisted it be just them. Susano wasn't even invited but he'd been barred from drinking for a very long time by Izanami after she heard about his atrocious behaviour at the Mayan gathering. It wasn't just Susano that had compromised his dignity however. Many Gods had disgraced themselves that night and were still trying to make amends: Anubis had just returned to a table where he and Ah Muzen Cab were sitting with a bottle of honey whiskey (with only one glass) to replace the one he'd drank that belonged to the God of Bees; Hades and Persephone seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation and Amaterasu could only imagine what it was about, although she didn't expect them to be discussing Hades' one-night stand with Ah Puch so out in the open, unless he brought her here so she wouldn't go completely insane knowing everyone would be watching.

Amaterasu took a seat next to her mother at the bar. She was hesitant while placing her arms on the countertop, expecting it to be sticky but the surface was spotless. She was guilty about expecting anything less than perfection from Nox.

"What are you having to drink, Ama'?" Izanami folded her fan and placed it on the bar.

Amaterasu smiled at her mother. She was grateful that she called her by her nickname as she found people saying her full name tedious and tiring, much like the writer typing this story. "What would you recommend Mother? You've clearly been here a lot," She meant nothing by her comment. It was just an assumption.

"More times than I care to admit, but it's a nice place, with nice drinks and nice company," Izanami turned to face Thanatos and gave him a wave and a wink. He remained unmoved, but Chronos found it very amusing.

Nox suddenly rose from behind the bar, "Flattery isn't going to pay for your drinks Iza' and I don't see a man willing to pay for you either."

"Actually, your son has offered to buy me and my daughter a pitcher for her birthday," Izanami proclaimed loudly. Everyone at the bar gave her a small round of applause for her motherly teasing.

Nox was also amused and played along, "Did he now?" She nodded at him from across the room. Thanatos shrugged his shoulders, not amused by the fact that he now had two mothers teasing him, "Don't worry dear, I'll lend you some money. And happy birthday Ama'," She smiled at her sweetly.

"Thank you Nox," Amaterasu also bowed her head to show thanks.

"I'm going to make you wonderful birthday cocktail. You'll love it. It's-," Nox paused, raising a brow (though no one could see it). She'd noticed that the song that was playing had suddenly been paused. A new song began to play and the genre told Nox exactly who the culprit was, "Nemesis?" She turned to see her daughter at the end of the bar, fiddling with a device that was presumably connected to whatever sound system that played the music. Nemesis ignored her mother. Nox spoke again with the same tone of voice, "Nemesis, put my playlist back on."

"Mom, nobody wants to listen to whatever mash-ups you've found recently. I'm putting some decent music on," She replied, just as plainly as her mother.

"Excuse me, young lady," Izanami backed-up a fellow parent, "I've been coming here for a long time and I've never had a problem with your mother's taste in music."

"Thank you Iza', Nox nodded at Izanami, then turned to face Nemesis again, who still didn't give her mother any eye contact (though neither of them could), "It's funny you should say that Nemesis because I'm pretty sure no one wants to listen to your I'm-going-through-what-I-call-and-emo-phase-but-I'm-really-a-scene-kid music."

Nemesis groaned as she hauled herself away from the device, swinging her head back as if she'd rolled her eyes far too enthusiastically. She sat herself next to Thanatos and the two began talking about how much their mother's light-hearted banter irritated them. Chronos seemed somewhat disenchanted that he was now the third-wheel.

When Nox had finally finished preparing Amaterasu's cocktail, she poured it into an enchanted chalice; in between the base and the bowl of the glass was a small, lit candle which acted as the stem, the heat keeping the bowl suspended. She placed the glass in front of Amaterasu. How she marvelled at just the glass alone greatly satisfied Nox.

Amaterasu was eager to try her drink, its orange glow already putting the fruity taste in her mouth. However, she had no idea how to pick up the glass. The wax had already begun to melt and she didn't want to get burned, "Um, Nox?" She inquired nervously, not wanting to embarrass herself or seem rude. Nox handed Izanami her drink. A quick glance at Amaterasu and she knew exactly what the problem was. She conjured up a straw and placed it in her glass, "Thank you," She giggled. She took the straw between her lips and took a sip. The liquid felt thicker than it was due to the intensity of the flavours. It was not bitter like most other alcoholic mixes that Amaterasu had tried, which was why she hated them. It also left a pleasant, fruity after taste. She took a larger sip, "Mm, it's dazzling."

Izanami put down her own drink, "Oh, can I try some?"

"No," Nox scolded her, "You can have one when it's your birthday."

"I wish it could be my birthday everyday if it meant I could drink this. What's in it?" Amaterasu had drunk almost half of the cocktail.

"That's on a need-to-know basis but there's nothing in there I wouldn't drink."

"So there's a drop of everything in there?" Izanami teased.

"I have actually made a drink with a little of everything, all that I had in the bar anyway. That was the first alcoholic drink I gave to Thanatos and Nemesis when they were old enough." Nox excused herself to go and serve Osiris and Isis who'd arrived at the bar.

Amaterasu drank the last few sips of her cocktail but still continued to pry the glass with her straw in the hopes of finding a bit more beneath the ice cubes. Izanami cooed at her adorable behaviour, finding it all the more endearing because she was her daughter. She often found herself in awe at her beauty. She considered it a compliment to herself that she'd created such a beautiful being (ignoring her husband's role in the process). It saddened her when she remembered how long Amaterasu had spent hidden from the world and although it wasn't because of insecurity, Izanami was still concerned for her child. She knew she wouldn't be able to ask her about her overall emotions directly as Amaterasu despised talking about herself and her well-being, not wanting to burden people if she wasn't feeling herself. Her mother knew she'd have to intricately set up a conversation like that, "You shouldn't wish your life away Ama'."

Amaterasu frowned at her mother's dreary sentiment, finding it even more irritating that she'd seemingly pulled it out of thin air. She did not let it show. She had the utmost respect for her mother and would never sass her, "What do you mean?"

"You know? What you said before: about how you wish it was your birthday every day. I know we're immortal but still…"

"It was just a joke Mother," She spoke with a soft, reassuring tone and was trying as hard as she could not to roll her eyes.

"No, I know that but I just think it's in bad tastes. You've been stuck in that cave for so long, you need to make up for lost time and not waste any more."

Amaterasu couldn't stop her eyes from widening. This had taken a drastic turn. She respected her mother but she didn't feel comfortable talking about her time in solitude in a place like this, knowing how other Gods may feel about her absence, concerned with how she abandoned her people in pursuit of self-pity. That is why she no longer spoke of her feelings to anyone, nor let them show; she just carried on as normal, "Mother, can we not talk about this now please?" She politely requested.

"I'm just saying," Izanami carried on briskly as she knew that would be her daughter's response, "You need to start doing the things that you've always wanted to do. It's important for me to know that you're happy."

"I am happy Mother. I'm back to serving my people and providing for them. My brother and I are talking again. You're back with us. Our pantheon isn't collapsing under petty feuds which I am truly grateful for, "She spoke with a hushed tone, knowing there were both Greek and Egyptian Gods in the room who might take offence (even if the shoe fit), "And, I've found love," As she spoke, the feeling manifested itself inside her and warmed her heart, "There's still more I want to do, of course. I'd love to travel to more places and talk with other pantheons…"

Izanami saw her chance and cut in as soon as there was a slight pause in Amaterasu's spiel, "If there's so much you still want to do, is now really the right time for a relationship?"

Amaterasu's stomach dropped. She didn't want to have to justify her relationship with Bellona to her mother. She couldn't without talking about how much they loved one another and she had a feeling that wouldn't satisfy her, not after how cold Izanagi had been towards her; Izanami no longer seemed to care for intense feelings of affection, finding it all a ruse. In truth, without that, Amaterasu and Bellona's relationship seemed highly inappropriate. They were from different pantheons which wouldn't come without disdain from somewhere. Also, because of that, they barely saw each other, in person that is. They spoke very often however, taking it upon themselves to sample mankind's technology.

Of course, Izanami could simply not like her girlfriend because of her personality, and Amaterasu freely admitted that Bellona was a hard person to get along with. Her mother may not simply want her to be in a relationship at all, feeling she was too young. Amaterasu didn't want to appear as if she was making assumptions about her mother's true feelings, knowing that would anger her, "Is this about Bellona?" She asked, as naturally as she could. Her mother said nothing. Instead, she turned away from her daughter and took another sip of her drink, "Do you not like her?" Izanami just shrugged. Amaterasu couldn't gather anything by her subtleties, becoming increasingly frustrated. She blurted out the first thing that came to her, though she couldn't quite understand why she thought of it, "Is it because she's a girl?"

"Don't be ridiculous Ama', of course it isn't," Izanami was quick to object, and took another sip of her drink.

She bit her lip. She knew that couldn't have been it; her mother had never been openly homophobic. At least now she had something to follow up on, "I'm being ridiculous? Who turned a jokey statement into a discussion about whether or not I am truly happy with my life?" Her voice was only slightly raised but it still shook her, the way she'd spoken to her Mother. They both seemed shocked, as did nearby bar-goers.

Izanami slammed her glass down onto the bar, attracting even more attention, "Well, I'm sorry but I care about your well-being," She said sharply, glaring at her daughter, who was aware that other people were listening in to their conversation.

"I know you do and I appreciate it, I really do," She was trying her best not to sound patronising with her hushed voice, also trying to ensure that no one else could hear their conversation. She held her Mother's shoulders and leaned towards her for good measure, "You needn't worry is what I mean. Me and Bellona are perfectly happy together. We love each other. Even though we're long-distance, we talk every day through messages," She got her phone out as if she was going to show her mother the messages and prove her point. She offered her a glimpse before taking it back and then subtly texting her brother before her mother noticed, as she wasn't fond of her children being permanently glued to their devices (even though that was an exaggeration). She continued to speak to distract her mother from her twiddling thumbs, "We can even call each other and see each other, so it doesn't really feel that long-distance," She blatantly lied; she did miss Bellona greatly and wished they saw each other in-person more often. Her mother didn't pick up on this, "I know it might not seem like it's the same thing, but it still works for us. Long-distance doesn't affect us greatly." She locked her phone and looked up. The scowl on Izanami's face told Amaterasu that she wasn't quite pacified.

"I can tell you from experience that long-distance complicates things massively," She took another sip of her drink, keeping her eyes locked onto her daughter's.

Amaterasu scowled back. Her mother clearly hadn't listened when she'd told her that they were okay with long distance. She knew exactly what she was comparing their relationship to in trying to push her daughter to end hers. "Mom, you were dead. And besides, Dad came looking for you, remember?" Amaterasu hit back with the cold, dead truth, dissolving the relation between the two.

"And then left as soon as he saw me," Izanami still had her stance and persisted, "That's what they do Ama'. When you're not pretty enough to fuck anymore, they move on." She picked up her glass, only to find it light with emptiness. It pushed her over the edge. She dropped the glass as tears broke through.

After the way she'd acted, Amaterasu felt little remorse and did nothing to comfort her mother, "Bellona isn't like that," She never thought that she'd have to defend her girlfriend from the accusation that she had such a shallow mind-set.

"How do you know? We may be immortal but you'll still change. For fuck's sake, you'll still grow old Ama'! What will she think of you then?" Izanami pried on her daughter's naivety.

"Bellona isn't like that," She spoke in short, sharp bursts. There was nothing more Amaterasu detested than people not listening to her or acknowledging what she'd said. Her brother hadn't replied to her message either which was also bringing her to breaking point. She only hoped she'd get a notification soon or he'd appear by the bar.

"Come on Susano, chop chop!" Raijin thundered, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Hang-on, I can't tell if my Heartward Amulet is active or not," Susano adjusted the charm around his neck.

"I can help you test that out. I'll fire an attack and if it doesn't hurt as much…"

Susano was suddenly perkier, "Hey. Hey! I said hang-on."

Raijin sighed and lowered his drumsticks, "I'm pretty sure you also said that you were really squishy and needed to work on your magical defence and I kindly agreed to help you."

He ignored Raijin because he didn't have a comeback. The gem at the centre of the amulet began to pulsate with a green glow. He was confident that it was working, "I'm never going to have a magic snake hit me in the private's ever again," He cringed when he recalled how much pain he was in when Kukulkan had whipped him with his tail. He stopped his train of thought before he remembered everything else that happened that night, wanting to focus on the task at hand rather than how much he'd embarrassed himself. He turned to face Raijin, "Okay, hit me." He spread his arms and beckoned him to attack by wiggling his fingers.

"Okay. I hope you're not wearing anything wet," Raijin prepared to attack.

Susano felt his side tingle. He leapt into the air, startled, assuming it was Raijin's attack.

The God of Thunder held up his hands and dropped his drumsticks, "It wasn't me."

"I know it wasn't," Susano felt his hip and pulled his phone from a pocket in his shorts.

Raijin groaned, "You still had your phone on you, knowing you were going to be dealing with electricity."

"I guess I just forgot," Susano just shrugged his shoulders. He unlocked his phone and began to read the message from his sister. Dismissing his reckless behaviour was another one of Susano's shortcomings which Raijin was happy to help him correct.

"Unless you'd have had a tiny Heartward Amulet for your mobile too, I don't think it would've survived even my weakest attack!"

"And that would've been my fault, okay? I'd have admitted that," Susano held one hand up to signal Raijin to stop talking, and was typing with the other.

Raijin ignored him, too angered by his disrespect, "You're texting? You're really texting when we're supposed to be practising?"

"Yes, Raijin, I'm texting. I'm texting my sister because she wants us to come and get her."

Raijin raised an eyebrow, "From Nyx's? What's the problem?" He ditched his drums and came closer to Susano, wanting to get a glimpse at the message. He read them aloud, "Mom's probing me, come and save me."

"You know it's bad because she didn't use any punctuation," Susano carried on texting his sister. He said his message as he typed, "On my way so sit tight." He slipped his phone behind the sash around his waist, "Ama's never felt so uncomfortable that she's felt like she wanted to leave somewhere either. Mom must really be laying into her."

"About the cave incident?"

"Damn, I hope not," Susano groaned. Now that he and his sister were on good terms, he'd rather just forget about the whole affair, for Amaterasu's sake, as she despised talking about her inner thoughts, and for his own, in case their mother thought that he needed some kind of intervention. "Well, we don't know until we get there. Big-Red, do the honours." He held out his hands for Raijin's to hold, that his teleportation ability might transfer to the both of them and get them there as fast as possible.

Raijin frowned, "I'm pretty sure she just wanted you there, you are her brother after all."

"You know she thinks of you as just the same. Besides, safety in numbers, especially with my mom involved."

"And who says I want to get involved?"

"Oh come on! Do it for Ama'."

There was a flash of blue light and then suddenly, everything was a little bit darker. When Susano had recovered, he's noticed they were in Nox's bar, and everyone else had also noticed their arrival.

"Very subtle Raijin, I must say."

"Don't call me 'Big-Red' then," The two noticed they were still holding hands and simultaneously yanked them away.

They had expected to find Amaterasu and Izanami with relative ease, trying to spot a blazing argument within an environment that was usually pretty mellow. They did see them, and immediately went towards them. Their urgency disappeared when they'd finally comprehended what the two of them were doing. Their demeanour was far from aggressive.

Amaterasu had one arm wrapped around her mother, who was leaning against her chest, still awkwardly perched on her bar stool. Her eyes were filled with pools of tears, but she was not sobbing. She was smiling in fact. Amaterasu was scrolling through her phone with her free hand, showing her mother her messages to and from Bellona.

"Oh, she calls you drop-dead gorgeous, that's so cute," Izanami cooed, sluggishly pointing at the screen and scrolling at her own pace. Amaterasu helped to steady her finger, but she could also flip past anything she didn't want her mother to see. She noticed a picture that was appropriate, for both her mother's eyes and the occasion.

"She sent me a picture of all of the birthday presents she's bought for me, all wrapped and ready," She couldn't help but shed a tear, overwhelmed by her generosity. So was Izanami.

"She bought you more than one and wrapped them in advance? She's a keeper."

Susano was relieved that they weren't arguing and they were shedding happy tears. Raijin couldn't even pretend to be frustrated. They were in a bar; he was hardly inconvenienced by coming out here. He could still have a drink, and would thoroughly tease Susano because he knew he couldn't. That didn't seem to be keeping him at bay, even with his Mom right by him. He was still sauntering towards the bar.

"Where do you think you're going?" Raijin followed him, "I'm pretty sure you can't drink."

"My Mom's so out of it that I can convince her it's just a normal cola," He gave Raijin a wink before settling his elbows on the counter. Nox glided over towards him, a sly smile on her face, "Ah, the ever non-radiant Nox. Can I have a double vodka and cola please?"

"I'm pretty sure you're barred," Nox would never undermine a fellow parent's punishment. "Besides, you need to stay sober and keep an eye on your mother and sister. They've had a rough night."

Author's Notes

Request for heartlesskitty247 on Tumblr.